Drip timing device



J. A. LUNDEEN 2,375,375

DRIP TIMING DEVICE I Filed Aug. 4, 1944 I N VEN TOR. WX. imm

May 8, 1945.

Patented May 8, 1945 i UNITED STAT-ES PATENT OFFICE 2,375,375 y, Dun'rnmNG DEVICE John Alfred Lundeen, Pequot Lakes, Minn. ApplicationAugust 4, 1944, Serial No. 548,113

6 Claims.

v'Ihisinvention relates to time measuring or indicating mechanism andparticularly to a reversible drip timing device wherein a thin liquidsuch as ether or alcohol having a low viscosity and one which is changedvery little by change of temperature, lis utilized as a medium. It is anobject of my present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive buthighly accurate drip timing device consisting in a sealed transparentgauging tube containing a quantity of preferably colored liquidv incombination with highly efficient mechanism mounted within the tube tocause uniformly and relatively slow dripping of the liquid from onechamber to another whereby time intervals may be gauged or indicatedthrough preferably the association `of graduationsand indicia with thegauging tube.

Heretofore, to my knowledge, it has been impractical if not consideredimpossible to utilize the dripping of a liquid in place of granularsolid material such as sand and the like for time indicating devices.Gravity actuated timing devices usingsolid particles are'very unreliableand inaccurate since the shape and size of the individual particles varymaterially and furthermore in that the size of the device must benecessarily large to obtain a measuring of time intervals in excess oftwo or three minutes.

In .the utilization of a liquid for timing purposes, the difficultyhereto has apparently been encountered in the ability to transfer airbubbles from one chamber to another in the gauging tube or glasssimultaneously with the passage of liquid from the second chamber to thefirst.

With my improved structure the upper and llower chambers of a gaugingtube containing a quantity of liquidare s0 interconnected that a drop ofliquid from the upper half of the tubemay pass downward to the lowerchamber forcing a small `quantity of bubbled air upwardly from the lowerchamber simultaneously with the down-l ward passage of the liquid,thereby overcoming the effect of vacuum in the interconnecting tube orpassage.

The foregoing and otherv objects of my invention will be more clear fromthe following description made in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, wherein like reference characters refer to similar partsthroughout the several views and in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevationof an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken yon the line 2-2 Fig. 1 showing thedevice attached to a vertical supporting wall.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale taken on theline 3-3of Fig. 1 showing the ccnstruction of my intercommunicating drip passageand the air ports connected Wtih the same.

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

In the embodiment illustrated, I provide an elongated gauging tube Tconstructed of transparent material such as glass or plastic and thistube is preferably of cylindrical cross section and of uniform internaldiameter throughout.

Tube T is 'centrally divided within by a disc partition 8 which may beconstructed of rubber, cork or other relatively Vcompressible andelastic material impervious to liquid. The disc 8 tightly -flts theinterior periphery of the tube and is centrally and axially aperturedvto receive my interconnecting drip mechanism.

This drip mechanism as shown, comprises an axially extending open endedtube 9 of relatively small diameter as compared with the gauge tube Tand with its medial portion tted through the disc 8 with external sealed-connection with the apertured portion thereof and having its endsextended equidistant from the adjacent horizontal surface of disc 8.Fixedly mounted within the tube 9 is a drip rod l0 having its two endsprojected a short distance beyond the corresponding ends of tube 9. Driprod l0 as shown has one of its sides longitudinally flatted throughoutits length and otherwise fits tube 9 tightly and is spot welded'crotherwise connected or bonded to the interior of said tube. The ilattedportion'of rod l0 in cooperation with the interior of the tube, forms avery narrow longitudinal passage Il extending the full length oi tube Sand interconnecting the upper and vlower chambers deiined in the gaugetube T through the medium of central partition disc 8. In the embodimentillustrated which is adapted for partial filling with ether, alcohol ora very thin fluid, the width of .the passage I l is such that it willaccommodate longitudinally a drill or rod of .0249

` liquid such as ether and to facilitate reading of the gauge, theliquid is preferably brightly colored. The amount of liquid employedwithin the gauge tube must be somewhat less in volume than the capacityof one of the two chambers between the central partition 8 and the endsof the tube.

The two ends of gauge tube T are closed and sealed as shown by means oftight fitting rubber or elastic cups I3 which may be cemented to theextremities of the tube and which in any event are secured to the tubeends with sealed effect to prevent passage of moisture, liquid or air.The sealed tube with the drip mechanism and liquid therein is thenproperly calibrated for the various time intervals desired andindications such as the circumferential lines or bands may be printed,etched or otherwise inscribed on the exterior of the tube and may havenumerals or other indica associated therewith to indicate the varioustime periods. Thus in the embodiment illustrated, both chambers of thegauge tube are provided with circumferential lines and numerals toindicate time periods of two, three, four and iive minutes respectively.

The device as shown includes a mounting comprising a pair of basemembers or short pedestals I4, having drilled therein axial recesses inwhich the sealed ends of the tube are received and iixed and a backconnecting member I in the form of a strip preferably having its frontsurface lacquered or highly polished or provided with a shining metalsurface for reflecting purposes, The back connecting member I5 at itsend, is secured to flatted peripheral portions of the base members I4and has a central aperture I5a through which a pivot screw I6 may beextended to pivotally secure the device to a vertical supportingsurface. As shown a washer I'I is interposed between the head of thepivot screw I6 and the exterior surface of the back member, andfrictional means may be applied between the screw and the passage I5a.to

prevent accidental swinging of the device from vertical position.

In use, the device is vertically disposed and tilted to a position inthe manner of an hour glass with the liquid above the partition 8. Thenarrow elongated passage through the drip tube 9 allows a drop of liquidto pass downwardly While simultaneously a particle or bubble of airenters the passage II usually through the lower lateral port I2, thisparticle of air as it passes the port I2 in the upper half of the driptube allows the drop of liquid to pass downwardly and thereby overcomesthe vacuum in the drip tube 9 and in the upper chamber 0f the gauge tubeT. Thus, by the cooperation of the longitudinal interconnecting passageII and the two lateral ports I2, disposed on opposite sides and injuxtaposition to the central partition, uniform intermittent dripping ofthe liquid from the upper chamber to the lower chamber, is obtained.

The level of the liquid in the upper tube is watched and when the levelis aligned with the appropriate gauge line and indica, the desired timeperiod is accurately determined.

In the next operation of the device, the entire device is bodily tiltedor reversed, it being of course, necessary that before such reversal al1the liquid be disposed in the lower chamber.

Assuming that the measuring liquid utilized is not subject to anyconsiderable iluctuation in volume due to temperature change, the devicewill function very accurately in long continued use.

Ether has proven to be a desirable liquid for.

measuring purposes due to its very slight change in volume due totemperature variations, but it Will of course be understood that variousother thin liquids may be equally well utilized.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided acomparatively simple, inexpensive, reversible drip timing device,capable of wide general use for indicating a large variety of differenttime periods as well as being adapted for wide use in connection withother devices where the dripping ci a measuring or indicating liquid isdesired, in connection with associated mechanisms.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in thedorm, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A drip timing device comprising a vertically disposed reversiblegauge tube having closed ends and containing a quantity of thin liquid,a partition centrally dividing the interior of said gauge tube, to formupper and lower chambers, a drip conduit mounted longitudinally withinsaid gauge tube and extending through said partition and connected withsealed effect thereto, said conduit having drip Openings adjacent therespective ends thereof and having a narrow passage extending throughoutsubstantially the 1ength thereof and further having a pair of smalllateral air passages formed therein communicating with said narrowpassage, one of said lateral air passages being disposed at each side ofsaid partition adjacent the same.

2. A drip timing device comprising a vertically disposed reversiblegauge tube having sealed ends and containing a quantity of thin liquid,a partition centrally dividing the interior of said tube to form upperand lower measuring chambers, a drip conduit mounted longitudinallywithin said tube and extending through said partition and connectedtherewith with sealed effect, said conduit having drip openings adjacentthe respective ends thereof and having a narrow longi tudinal passageextending therethrough and having rod elements at its extremitiesextending from said openings, said conduit further being provided with apair of small lateral air ports communicating with said longitudinalpassage and one being disposed at each side of said partition, adjacentthe same.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1 and, said gauge tube beingprovided with a transparent gauging portion extending the greaterportion of the length thereof and having graduations spaced atpredetermined intervals longitudinally of said tube from said centralpartition to indicate measurements determining various intervals oftime.

4. The structure set forth in claim 1 and, said gauge tube beingconstructed of transparent material and provided with longitudinallyspaced .graduations for each of said measuring chambers and a reversiblemounting for said tube including a backing member disposed parallel tothe axis of said tube and having a reiiecting surface.

5. A drip timing device comprising a vertically disposed, reversiblegauge tube having closed ends and containing a quantity of thin liquid,a partition centrally dividing the interior of said gauge tube to formupper and lower chambers, a drip tube mounted longitudinally Within saidgauge tube and extending through said partition and connected withsealed effect thereto, a drip rod xedly mounted within said tube andliquid, a partition centrally dividing the interior of said gauge tube,to form upper and lower chambers, means mounted longitudinally withinsaid gauge tube for dening an open ended drip passage, said meansextending through said partition and connected with sealed eiectthereto, said means having a pair of small lateral air passages formedtherein communicating with said drip passage, one of said lateralpassages "l" being disposed at each side of said partition adjacent thesame.

JOI-1N ALFRED LUNDEEN.

